News

Winning strategy

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Key Club of Colebrook Academy in New Hampshire had some fun with Key Club’s Service Initiative, Live 2 Learn—and they helped kids learn along the way. First, club members played around with some ideas. Then they decided to produce educational games, says Heather Hibbard, immediate past president of the Key Club. Searching for a “signature game” the club turned to the Internet and hit the jackpot.

“At a teachers’ learning shop, we found unique ways to use Bingo to enhance learning, which fit the criteria of Key Club’s Major Emphasis Project,” Hibbard says. “We developed our project to make the learning process for children ages 5 to 9 easier and more effective.”

The club’s goals were to teach games that parents could do at home with their children, to make learning fun and less stressful for everyone, to help the children overcome learning obstacles and to help them succeed in school. They hope to have a hand in helping students participate in school with good behavior and gain greater self-esteem.

“Children who believe in themselves are more likely to help out at school, at home and in their community,” Hibbard says. “They see us teenagers mentoring them, and we hope they’ll want to do the same once they are older.”

Everyone loved the games. Parents said it was a great idea. Two school board members and the superintendent were
interested, too. In all, the club gave away 55 sets of games. What they got back was even better.

“We all had a great time,” Hibbard says. “We felt we made a difference.”